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Canada Weather from the historical vault.Canada's deadliest tornado struck Regina, SK on June 30, 1912, killing 40 people, injuring 300 and destroying 500 buildings. It lasted only three minutes but it took 46 years to pay for the damage. On May 4, 1971 heavy rains in St-Jean-Vianney, Que. opened a sinkhole 600m wide and 30m deep. The crater and mudslide killed 31 people and swallowed 35 homes, a bus and several cars.

A flooded downtown Calgary is seen from a aerial view of the city June 22, 2013. The two rivers that converge on the Western Canadian city of Calgary are receding Saturday after floods devastated much of southern Alberta province, causing at least three deaths and forcing thousands to evacuate. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

Alberta's volatile summer weather causes more damage here than all other provinces combined — and it has the Alberta Motor Association (AMA) raising the alarm.

According to AMA's vice president of claims, Ted Koleff, said the province's severe weather has been more destructive and happening more often in the last decade.

"Storms, really since 2010, have become more frequent, more severe and more costly," he said.$5B in insured damage since 2010

Koleff said wind, hail and rain-related flooding have caused more than $5 billion worth of insured damage in this province over the last eight years.

"Sixty one per cent of all of Canada's insured damage has been in Alberta since 2010," he said.

On average, Koleff said approximately 44 tornados touch down in the Prairies each summer.

"That's almost one a day through July and August. So, the frequency and the severity from an insured damage perspective is going up," he said.

And, the things getting damaged are costing more.

"Roofs are more expensive and siding that gets damaged is more expensive then it was 10 to 15 years ago, so those are the trends," he said.Tips for weathering storms

Koleff advises Albertans to sign up for weather alerts and make sure they are doing small things to prevent damage to their homes, their neighbour's homes, or even people.

"If you have lawn furniture, can you weigh it down. You should clean out your gutters so water flows freely, make sure downspouts are pointing away from your home and not toward your foundation. Check your window wells and check your foundation," he said.Environment Canada's senior climatologist, David Phillips, who tracks Canada's big weather events, says he isn't surprised by Alberta's numbers.Alberta 'hotbed' for stormy weather

"It's almost as if you are the hotbed for not only for just summer weather, but even the transition seasons of spring and fall," he said.

Phillips said Alberta's violent weather would most certainly keep insurers on their toes.

"It is clearly a big cost to insurers," he said. "No wonder they seed clouds in Calgary and are making press statements like this, because in fact their bottom line is being seriously affected by what is going on in the province."FILE - In this May 6, 2016 file photo, a wildfire breaks out along a highway about 10 miles south of Fort McMurray, Alberta. A new U.S. report says last year‚Äôs weather was far more extreme or record breaking than anything approaching normal. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017, released its annual state of the climate 2016 report, highlighting numerous records including hottest year, highest sea level and lowest sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctica. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

The climatologist said Alberta has been home to some of the most expensive natural disasters in the world, including the 2013 floods and the Fort McMurray wildfires.

"The fire in Fort McMurray was the grand-daddy fire of them all," he said. "You count it up, we're talking billions of dollars and insurance losses, of course, because property is lost.

"We've seen multi-million-dollar hail storms in Calgary. And, in terms of tornado events, they destroy property for sure — and insurers would be out because of that — but it's also killer tornados. If you look at the casualties from tornados in Canada over the last couple of decades, it's clearly been Alberta that has led the way."

Phillips said if recent years are any indication of what is to come, there will be more wild Alberta weather this summer.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018, 8:25 AM - As of Monday night, over 75 active wildfires were reported across northern Ontario with evacuation orders and alerts in place as crews struggle to contain the fires. Some relief will come in the way of rain this week, but will it be enough?A risk for dry lightning could complicate matters further. More on the multi-day rain forecast, below.

Due to extreme fire hazard, recent periods of lightning, little rain and increased forest fires, Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources say they have expanded the restricted fire zone to include more southern regions.

"Assistance from across Canada and as far away as Mexico have joined forest fire fighting efforts in the northeast region," said the MNR on Monday. "Mexican fire crews arrived at Sudbury July 20, and are deployed to fires around the region."CAUSE OF PARRY SOUND FIRE UNDER INVESTIGATION

One fire near Parry Sound, known as Parry Sound 33, is burning out of control at more than 5,000 hectares. The fire prompted mandatory evacuations of the Key Harbour area and the municipality of Killarney south of the French River Provincial Park on Sunday.

An evacuation alert -- meaning residents should be prepared to evacuate when told to -- has been issued to residents of the same area who have road access to their homes.

There has been a lot of speculation about how this fire started with workers on one of the province's largest wind projects alleging that the forest fire was "sparked by construction on the wind farm." In a report from CBC News, workers say "crews continued to blast rock and use heavy machinery that had set off several small fires earlier last week." This was all during a region-wide fire ban and when "extreme fire hazard" conditions were ongoing.

The MNR say they are investigating this claim.

The Municipality of Killarney, which includes the evacuation zones, also declared a state of emergency on Saturday.

RELATED: Relief for Ontario's dry, scorched areas

In the northwest, a fire known as Kenora 71 is burning around 9,000 hectares. The area received six millimetres of rain overnight Sunday and into Monday, which helped to reduced the fire behaviour. Officials say air quality is also improving with 140 firefighters still committed to this fire.

Smoke concerns are ongoing in nearby Wabaseemoong Independent Nation however, which made the decision to evacuate up to 80 vulnerable people (such as seniors or children) due to smoke drift from Kenora Fire 71. The evacuees are staying at Rat Portage First Nation.

The end of summer is still far away, and already the wildfire season has been very active in the far north. So far this over, there has been more than 800 wildfires, far higher than last year's 190 fires at this time of year, and well above the 10-year average of 458. So far, this year's fires have consumed 181,000 hectares of the province.

There are 77 active fires in the region, 65 of which are either under observation, being held or under control, according to Monday's statement.RAIN RELIEF, COOLER LATE WEEK

As fire crews look to the skies for help, the prospect for rain hasn't looked this good in weeks with the chance for at least showers almost every day this week. Between 20-30+ mm of rain could fall in some places through Tuesday with another shot at rain on both Wednesday and Thursday. There is concern however, with dry lightning in the forecast, which is lightning without rain.

According to Shayne McCool, one of the MNR's fire information officers, dry lightning has been the culprit for the big spike in forest fires this year over last.

Vineyards welcome hot and dry weatherThe high temperatures the Niagara region has seen this summer has been good for local wine makersLaura Clementson · CBC News · Posted: Jul 23, 2018 5:11 PM ET | Last Updated: July 24

So far it's been a hot summer and for wine producers, that's a great thing according to a local producer, but also says timely rain is needed as well. (Sheryl Nadler/Canadian Press)People may not have been fans of the extreme hot and dry conditions — but Niagara's vines are — and they aren't even bothered by the humidex either.

In fact, hot and dry temperatures are two things grapevines like the best.

Matthew Speck, co-owner and vineyard manager of Henry of Pelham winery in St. Catharines says the impact of the heat is all very positive.

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"In general we're looking for hot and dry, just with a couple timely rains in there."

Speck says as a producer one thing he's not too concerned about is what we call "extreme heat" in Niagara and Ontario because relative to where grapes are grown, the temperatures we've seen so far aren't that extreme at all.

"For us 31, 32 C is very hot, but grape vines grow in climates where that's a routine temperature and much hotter," said Speck. "Grapevines love the heat. They're good with it."

Time to buy more Canadian wine? Climate change driving up prices from other wine regions

So the recent "extreme" heat wave that gave the Hamilton area seven straight days of temperatures above 30 C actually had a positive impact.

Grapevines don't require a lot of water ultimately. - Matthew Speck, co-owner and vineyard manager of Henry of Pelham

He says the hot and dry temperatures are particularly great in the middle part of the season.

Where humidex is felt by people, it doesn't mean anything to plants says Speck. The vines are just concerned with the actual temperature.The right amount of moisture

What can eventually become an issue for producers and especially younger plants is the amount of precipitation, which the Hamilton and Niagara region hasn't seen much of this summer.

As of last Tuesday, Environment Canada told CBC News Hamilton had only received 2 mm of rain this month when normally there's about 55 to 60 mm in the month of July.

Extreme heat wave likely set the 'personality' for the rest of summer

Relief came over the weekend for Speck.

"That was like a million dollar rain. It hit just at the right time. We were just getting to that point where water stress could start to become an issue," said Speck.

"We were getting concerned on that front, especially with some younger plants. [They] will start to show water stress because they just haven't established the deep root system yet."

Speck says his vineyard has the ability to do some supplemental irrigation, but in the Niagara region, not all producers do.

He says in the past 30 years he's only had to irrigate once and started to do a bit about 10 days ago with some of their younger plants

I think things are shaping up well for a really good vintage. - Jim Willwerth, senior scientist of viticulture at Brock University

"Grapevines don't require a lot of water ultimately," said Speck.

"As long as the vineyard is mature meaning north of six, seven, eight years old, typically the roots are very deep and they require remarkably little water actually rainfall during the growing season."

He says too much moisture can dilute the flavours in a crop.Matthew Speck, co-owner and vineyard manager of Henry of Pelham winery in St. Catharines says extreme heat combined with no precipitation generally is fine, but there does come a point where the vines need a little bit of water to keep going, making this past weekend's rain timely. (Meg Roberts/CBC)

Heat can come too quickly though, says Speck.

"What you don't want is the buds to open up too early in May or April even when you could still get a frost. That's really scary."

He says this spring was great. It stayed quite cool in April this year and the buds started to open up in mid May.

'A really good vintage'

Jim Willwerth, senior scientist of viticulture at Brock University shared a similar view that hot temperatures haven't had a negative impact at this point.

Willwerth compared the Niagara region to other parts of the world that grow in much hotter temperatures and says vines are tough.

"We've selected plant material that's pretty resilient to our climate," said Willwerth. It is quite amazing how resilient vines actually are. They can get through a lot."

Wine lovers rejoice, extreme cold snap is good news for icewine

He says the good thing about the heat and drought early in the season is that it can slow down the vigour of the vines so growers don't have to do as much canopy management in terms of hygiene and leaf removal, creating a natural process for better fruit exposure.

"The warmer temperatures allowed for really good bloom and fruit set and so we had really good conditions for berry development," said Willwerth.

Atlantic Canada | Humidity reignsBreak from heat, but not humidity, for Atlantic Canada

Saturday, July 28, 2018, 8:40 PM - Strong high pressure situated over the central Atlantic has kept a steady flow of heat and humidity training into Atlantic Canada this week, with a downright soupy air mass dominating the region. While we see a bit of a shift in that pattern this weekend, that doesn't mean mild and quiet days ahead, as showers and thunderstorms -- some potentially severe -- track through the region Sunday. With an upper level trough of low pressure swinging through, this unsettled pattern seems set to stick with us as we run out the last few days of July. We take a peek at what looks like a very steamy August, below.

A low pressure system will be tracking across Labrador, bringing showers and thunderstorms through Sunday. Though heat warnings are still in effect for P.E.I. and Newfoundland, humidex values should ease slightly thanks to a broad area of upper level low pressure temporarily disrupting flow around the area of high pressure sitting offshore. Temperatures above the seasonal norm are expected to come throughout this week.

That said, that upper level disturbance is accompanied by a cold front down here at the surface, and that front cutting through the unstable atmosphere brings with it the threat for thunderstorms, including some potential for severe weather, on Sunday.

While this front has a history of large hail and funnel clouds, as it moves into Atlantic Canada its primary threats are expected to be smaller hail, gusty winds, and torrential downpours. Localized heavy rainfall seems particularly likely, given the lingering humidity over the region. The good news is this front will bring a bit of a break from the humidity Sunday and Monday for the Maritimes, and into Monday for Newfoundland, courtesy of the northwesterly winds in its wake.

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE (STEAMY) START OF AUGUST

While flow from the Bermuda High might taper temporarily this weekend, we can't write that feature off heading into August as it looks to be a big player in the late summer pattern. By the middle of next week, we expect widespread humidex values to be heading back into mid-30s territory for much of the region -- and that might be something we'll have to get used to for the month ahead.

"The very warm and muggy pattern is expected to dominate next week and continue through much of August," says Weather Network meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham. "The strong Bermuda High keeps a persistent southwest flow of very warm air and tropical moisture into the region."

Long range model guidance also suggests a rainy start to August for much of eastern Canada, as well, with the potential for a few rounds of showers and thunderstorms for the week. Stay with us here at The Weather Network, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter, for the latest on what promises to be a sultry end to the summer.

Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 8:19 AM - Tornado-warned storms fired up across parts of southwestern Ontario on Tuesday night ahead of a widespread thunderstorm risk through Wednesday. Isolated severe storms are possible across central and eastern regions with strong winds, heavy rain and an isolated tornado risk back on the table. More on the areas at risk, PLUS a look ahead to the humid August long weekend, below.

WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS:

More funnel clouds spotted over southwestern Ontario Monday and Tuesday Risk of thunderstorms and isolated severe storms across central and eastern Ontario Wednesday, pushing into southern Quebec Warming trend expected during the weekend with the threat for a passing shower or thunderstorm with the muggy conditions

HEAVY RAIN, STRONG WINDS, ISOLATED TORNADO THREAT

As a system moved into the region on Tuesday and a warm front pushed up from the U.S. Midwest, thunderstorms began to fire through southwestern Ontario through the afternoon hours. Despite being extremely isolated in nature, the risk continued through the evening and overnight period with a tornado warning issued for Windsor, Essex and Chatham-Kent at 11:11 p.m. The warning was dropped about an hour later and Environment Canada has not confirmed any touchdowns.

Wednesday will be another unsettled and widespread active day across Ontario, but the greatest risk for severe storms looms mostly over central and eastern Ontario. Torrential rainfall will be one of the primary threats with these storms, given the push of tropical moisture fueling the system.

Pulses of energy passing overhead will align with the warm front as it lifts through during the morning hours, and the cold front as it pushes through in the evening Wednesday. Hail and isolated tornadoes are possible with these storms, but the main threats will again be strong gusty winds, frequent lightning, and local flooding from heavy rain.FUNNEL CLOUDS SWIRL OVER THE SOUTHWEST, AGAIN!

For the THIRD day in a row on Tuesday, the perfect ingredients were there for funnel clouds.

The broad upper level trough of low pressure slowly working its way through the Great Lakes region has made conditions unusually conducive to funnel clouds and waterspouts the past few days -- something that residents in southern Ontario are now well aware of. Tuesday marked the third day in a row that the cone-shaped clouds made an appearance overhead. Like their predecessors, Tuesday's funnels made a quick appearance on social media.

These weak spin-up clouds have generally been forming along afternoon lake breezes generated off of lakes Erie and Ontario, which in turn explains why they keep popping up over the same region day after day.

HEAT BUILDS FOR AUGUST LONG WEEKEND

As we approach the upcoming August long weekend, a warming trend is set to return, although not nearly as hot or humid as what was felt during the recent Canada Day weekend. And with the increasing humidity and muggy conditions, a passing shower or thunderstorm cannot be ruled out either.

"At this point however, most of the region is expected to be dry for both Saturday and Sunday," says Weather Network meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham.

Expect fog patches to dissipate this morning making way for a mix of sun and cloud.

There is a 40 percent chance of showers with the risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon.

Today's high of 28 will feel like 33 with the humidex.

The UV index today is 8 or very high.

Traffic

From 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. today Clarence Street will be reduced between King Street and York Street for watermain work. Highbury Avenue North will have lane restrictions from Sunningdale Road East to Fanshawe Park Road East from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. for operations maintenance. An infrastructure project has turn restrictions on Byron Baseline Road at North Street. Turning onto North Street or Colonel Talbot Road from Byron Baseline Road is not possible.

The London Free PressBeaches look good, weather looks hot for long weekendUpdated: August 3, 2018

Vanessa Mahon took her daughter Emmeline, 17 months, to the splash pad in Gibbons Park but seemed to be having as much fun herself as she tries for a sip of water in this Free Press file photo (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)

Sunny skies and soaring temperatures will kick off the long weekend, Environment Canada says – temperatures so high it might trip a heat warning from the national weather agency.

“It’s right on the cusp of the warning criteria,” Environment Canada meteorologist Gerald Cheng said. “We have a southwest flow that’s bringing the warmth from the south to Southern Ontario.”

With the spectre of an Environment Canada heat warning this weekend, the Middlesex London Health Unit has issued a heat alert of its own. The warning will come into effect Sunday and remain in place until temperatures drop overnight Tuesday, the health unit said in a statement.

Over the weekend, the mercury will be flirting with the 30 C mark in parts of the region, heat that will feel even hotter with the humidity.

“It is getting warmer. . . If you want a fair and dry day, Saturday will be it,” Cheng said.

The heat and humidity Saturday and Sunday will lead to an “unsettled” holiday Monday, Cheng said.

“We will see a chance of showers and thunderstorms,” he said, adding more seasonal temperatures will return early next week.

People who want to take a dip in the lake to cool off this weekend are in luck.

Despite recent rainfall across the region – which can churn up bacteria and ratchet up dirty run-off into the lakes – water quality at most Southwestern Ontario’s beaches is good.

Based on routine water samples taken Tuesday, both the main and little beach in Port Stanley and Port Burwell’s main and provincial park beaches are safe for swimming, public health officials in Elgin and Oxford counties said in a water quality statement posted on their website.

Rogers Pass Avalanche - March 5, 1910. Sixty-two train men and labourers perished 2 km west of Rogers Pass, BC, when their engine was hit by an avalanche and hurtled 500 metres into Bear Creek. Over 600 volunteers used pick axes and shovels to dig through 10 m of snow in the search for survivors.

World's Worst Iceberg Accident - April 15, 1912. The unsinkable Titanic collided with an iceberg 700 km southeast of Newfoundland, causing the death of 1,500 people and making headlines around the world.

Deadliest Canadian Tornado - June 30, 1912.A late afternoon tornado slashed through six city blocks in Regina, killing up to 40 people, injuring 300 others, destroying 500 buildings and leaving a quarter of the population homeless. Better known as the "Regina Cyclone", the tornado lasted three minutes but it took 46 years to pay for the damages.

Black Sunday Storm - November 7-13, 1913. One of the most severe Great Lakes storms on record swept winds of 140 km/h over lakes Erie and Ontario, taking down 34 ships and 270 sailors. Days later, the crew of one ship was found lashed to the mast, frozen to death -- only the ship survived.

Storm Claims Sealers - April 1, 1914.Seventy-seven sealers froze to death during a violent storm on the ice off the southeast coast of Labrador. At the height of the storm, from March 31 to April 2, the temperature was -23°C with winds from the northwest at 64 km/h.

Fog Causes Ship Collision - May 29, 1914. Shallow river fog contributed to the collision of two ships -- the CP Liner Empress of Ireland and a Norwegian coal ship, The Storstad -- in the St. Lawrence River, 300 km seaward from Quebec City. The liner sank in 25 minutes, and 1,024 passengers lost their lives.

Victoria's Snowstorms of the Century - February 2, 1916 and December 28-29, 1996. Huge snowstorms, 80 years apart, clobbered Canada's "snow-free" city with more than 55 cm of snow. The December storm dropped 80 cm of snow in 24 hours, 125 cm in five days with cleanup costs exceeding $200 million (including a record insurance payout for BC of $80 million).

Princess Sophia Sinks off BC - October 23, 1918. A Canadian steamship carrying miners from Yukon and Alaska became stranded on Vanderbilt Reef. Rescuers were unable to remove the 268 passengers and 75 crewmen due to a strong northerly gale. The next day, weather conditions worsened and the ship sank killing all on board.

CANADA IN 2030: Future of our water and changing coastlines Air pollution and diabetes are oddly connected. Here's how How will Earth feed 9 billion people by 2050? Racism and climate change denial: Study delves into the link

Isabella O'MalleyClimate Change Reporter

Wednesday, July 11, 2018, 7:07 AM - Fatal heat waves, invasive alien species, shrinking forests, and struggling farmers - the reality of a changing climate in Canada is becoming harder to ignore, and the United Nations has stated that it is the biggest systematic threat to humanity.

In Water, Fire, Earth, Air - a four-part series - we will look at how climate change will affect different regions in Canada by categorizing the regions by element to provide a unique and comprehensive understanding of how Canadian life could change, assuming our carbon dioxide emissions continue along a business as usual scenario.Majority of Canadians live within in 160 km of the United States

Over 65 per cent of Canadians reside in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, yet these provinces make up just under 30 per cent of Canada's total land area.

Modern land use patterns leave many parts of these provinces unrecognizable compared to photographs of them 100 years ago. Majority of the populations live within 160 kilometres of the United States border in urbanized cities that consume lots of energy and produce lots of waste. The surrounding natural resources from all provinces are critical components of Canada’s economy that are processed by farming, agriculture, lumber, mining, and manufacturing.

In 2016 Ontario and Quebec were the second and third highest carbon emitting provinces and despite their decrease of carbon dioxide emissions over the years, drastic strategies have to be implemented to reduce emissions by approximately 200 megatonnes to meet the national target of 523 megatonnes by 2030 - this reduction is equivalent to the entire province of Alberta producing zero carbon dioxide emissions for an entire year.

Credit: Government of Canada

The goal to reduce carbon emissions by 30 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 raises the question, how will Canada change during this short period of time if the country doesn’t reach its goal?Fast Facts

● Extreme weather events will be become more severe, unpredictable, and expensive to recover from

● Food supply will change - more crops could be wiped out by unusual weather at the beginning of growing seasons, different crops that favor warm weather will benefit while traditional crops will become more unreliable

● Forests across Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec could move northward, shrink in size, and suffer from increased pathogens and invasive alien species

● Public infrastructure is at increasing risk for damage and will cost taxpayers more money for repairs

● Warming is happening faster in Northern regions of provinces and impacting these communities faster than in southern regionsManitoba - Challenges for farmers and Northern communities

According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the province's auditor general has stated that Manitoba is currently lacking a central policy to assess how climate change will impact the province's critical resources, such as roads, bridges, power supplies, and agriculture.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Warming temperatures will upset the balance of forests, farms, and insects. Persistent high temperatures will alter soils and cause the top layer to become dry and susceptible to erosion by strong winds. Without moist soils vegetation will dry out and decay, which could increase flood risk as bushes and other plants help manage heavy rainfalls and reduce flooding risks. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, and storms could release larger amounts of precipitation which not only presents a physical threat to humans, but could cause floods that harm livestock and carry bacteria, fertilizers, and sewage into waterways and aquifers.

Some jokingly refer to Winnipeg as 'The Mosquito Capital of Canada', and unfortunately these pesky bugs will continue to swarm in as temperatures rise. Climate determines the range of insects like mosquitoes, and warmer temperatures will create new and favourable environments for insects that carry infectious diseases, such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus.

Credit: Flickr

While mosquitos and ticks are moving in, forests are moving out - numerous tree species are struggling with warmer temperatures and forests have begun to inch north to cooler regions. The northern latitudes of Manitoba are expected to warm faster than the southern regions of the country - winters could be between warmer by 6 to 12 degrees Celsius, which could cause portions of the province's boreal forests range to shift north by 150 to 200 kilometres. Arctic soils could prevent further growth northward, so the southern portions of the forests that contain economically significant species, such as hardwoods like aspen, could shrink as drought-intolerant species might not be able to withstand warmer, drier conditions.

Traditional crops like wheat have been struggling to deal with drought and severe storms, and some farmers have begun planting new crops that favour warmer temperatures to ensure a stable income in spite of the changing climate. Decades ago minimal amounts of soy was grown in Manitoba, but now the province supplies over 20 per cent of the entire country's soy production.

Temperature warming is threatening the reliability of winter roads in Manitoba's Northern communities, which are essential for access to food, supplies, and transport. Roads, housing and other infrastructure that is built on permafrost is at risk for instability and collapse as it begins to melt and alters the shape of land.

So what will happen by 2030?

● Increased rates of vector-borne illnesses, like Lyme disease and West Nile virus, will affect more people and regions that have never before dealt with this problem. Greater investments will have to fund more monitoring and reporting of pathogen risks and outbreaks.

● Persistent warm temperatures could trigger drought conditions and could put a strain on communities that rely on agriculture. Extreme weather events could cause mass fatalities of livestock, flooding, soil erosion, and could destroy an entire growing season’s progress. Foreign pests could invade grasslands and harm crop species and reduce their nutrient qualities.

● Traditional crops like wheat will be increasingly replaced by heat-tolerant crops like corn and soy.

● Northern communities will face greater challenges with accessing food and other supplies - fluctuations in temperatures during the winter could melt and destroy winter roads that took significant resources to construct and are a critical means for accessibility.

● Forest ranges could change by moving northward, shrinking, or become more susceptible to drier, warmer conditions.Ontario - Damaging storms and blackouts

Extreme weather is costing cities hundreds of millions of dollars, particularly in Toronto which is Canada’s biggest city and tied with Vancouver as the most expensive Canadian city - a severe ice storm in December 2013 caused $200 million in property damage and left thousands without power and heat in the depths of winter, and wind storm this past May caused $380 million in property damage and three deaths. Aging infrastructure will become increasingly susceptible to damage, and the cost to repair them to a standard that is resilient to future, more intense storms will be high.

Ice storm in Toronto, 2013. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Widespread power outages caused by raging storms are forcing power utilities to prepare for more storms, who will have to install equipment that can handle extreme winds, or are located in strategic places where they cannot be knocked down by falling trees. Some recent storms have caused power outages to last for over a week, and homeowners will have to stock up on flashlights, batteries, and other emergency items needed in power outages. The overall increase in energy demand also strains utility providers. The Urban Island Heat Effect is the result of high rise buildings, dark pavements, and vehicle exhaust causing temperatures in cities to be between 1 and 2 degrees Celsius warmer than rural regions, where trees, grass, and soil have a cooling effect. Growing cities will need more record-breaking amounts of power to stay cool during the heatwaves that are becoming hotter and more frequent.

Shifting seasonal cycles can cause plants to bloom earlier than expected, change the patterns of pollinators, and can present harsher weather that threatens the survival of the plants and animals. Early blooms of fruit crops, such as apples and grapes that will be used to make wine, threaten the entire harvest. In 2012 apple trees bloomed earlier than normal due to unusually warm temperatures in March followed by a severe frost two months later, which caused 80 per cent of the fruit to die. Just three years later a sudden freeze killed off half of Ontario's apple crop. The province's apple crop industry is worth over $60 million and the extreme weather not only affects the success of an economically significant industry, but the livelihoods of Canadian farmers and their families. The wine industry in southern Ontario is also particularly affected by fluctuating weather - in the winter of 2014 extensive crop damage occurred in merlot, sauvignon blanc, and syrah varieties caused by extremely cold weather.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Invasive alien species are thriving in many regions of Ontario, and are costing millions to remove. Zebra mussels, emerald ash borer, asian carp, and giant hogweed moved in with few predators and plenty of resources to expand their population, but are causing serious problems such as deforestation, uncontrollable population in lakes, and could change entire ecosystems. As temperatures, forests, and landscapes change, these invaders could threaten loss of biodiversity, worsen soil quality, and devastate habitats of native animals.

So what will happen by 2030?

● Food prices will increase and availability will be more unpredictable - extreme weather and changing seasonal cycles could wipe out Ontario-grown crops, and more expensive food will have to be imported from other provinces or internationally.

● Fighting invasive alien species will cost millions annually, with some efforts being ineffective. Biodiversity will continue to be threatened and lost, particularly pollinating bees that are critical for the farming industry.

● Property damage and insurance premiums will be more expensive - home owners will have to invest in improving the resilience of their homes and technologies for heating or cooling in extreme temperatures.

● Public infrastructure, such as roads and highways, will cost cities more money to maintain and repair them from extreme weather - or will worsen over time without repair depending on the distribution of taxes.

● Electricity grids will face more blackouts when trying to provide energy during extreme weather events - it could become the norm to have a power outage affect hundreds of thousands of people during storms, and returns of energy will take longer due to increased power customers.Quebec - Adjusting homeowners the struggling ski industry

The recent extreme heat wave in Quebec resulted in over 74 deaths and the list of total fatalities is still being updated. The number of deaths has been unprecedented - a morgue in Montreal became so overcrowded that they had to partner with a local funeral home to create enough spaces for bodies. In 2009 approximately 80 per cent of homes in Ontario had a central air conditioning system, compared to only approximately 45 per cent in Quebec. Increasing temperatures and heat waves over the next few years could prompt cities to consider improved alert systems and protocol, and an increasing trend of central air conditioning and other temperature-controlling technologies in homes and buildings.

Credit: Trying to stay cool in a heat wave. Wikimedia Commons

While climate change is forcing people to purchase fans and air conditioners, other are having to abandon their homes. Heavy winter storms have eroded coastlines along Sept Îles, Rimouski, and Percé, where several homes have been destroyed by giant waves that used to be blocked by sea ice before it began to melt. As reported by Montreal Gazette, ten residents have already had to relocate and the program has a program that pays displaced homeowners a compensation of up to $150,000, which some say is not enough to purchase new a house.

Many visitors enjoy the warm summers and cold winters, but the ski industry is threatened by warming temperatures that are forcing hills to close for multiple days in a row in the middle of winter. The historically long skiing seasons are becoming shorter and shorter, which spells serious trouble for the industry that had total revenues of $295 million from 2016 to 2017. Quebec is one of the most popular destinations for skiing in Canada and attracts millions of national and international visitors each year, which significantly boosts the economy. The ski season in southern Quebec could shorten by as much as half and technologies used for snow production on ski hills would have to increase by over 130 per cent to guarantee a 100-day ski season by 2050.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

In the summer, visitors could be offered more opportunities for sighting new and unfamiliar animals - warming temperatures will cause massive shifts in biodiversity in protected areas that cover over 600,000 square kilometres in the province, particularly southern regions. Close to half of the protected regions could see a species turnover, the disappearance and new arrivals of species, close to 80 per cent. Species could shift their ranges northward and the warmer climate could welcome species that had never existed in Quebec before - species will be forced to co-exist, which will prompt competition for habitats and resources, and could lead to extinction for some native species while new species thrive.

So what will happen by 2030?

● Homes will have to become more resilient to climate change - temperature-controlling technologies will have to be purchased, especially for demographics that are sensitive to extreme temperatures such as the elderly

● People that live along eroding shorelines will have to extensively evaluate their risk of flooding, and many will have to relocate as sea level rises

● The skiing industry will see increasingly fluctuating profits as the number of snow days becomes fewer and less consistent

● Biodiversity will rapidly change - new species could move in from other provinces or countries (e.g. the United States) and could outcompete other species and cause them to go extinct

There were multiple reports of funnel clouds, including in the Township of Dutton in Elgin County, as well as near Amherstburg.

"There is the risk for an isolated brief tornado associated with these storms," warned Environment Canada.

One home suffered some damage due to a fallen tree in Windsor.

"A line of strong thunderstorms from Bramalea to Pickering is moving southeast very slowly. Some of these thunderstorms will have the potential to produce significant rainfall amounts, as well as wind gusts to 90 km/h," said the weather agency. "Some hail is possible as well. Additional thunderstorms may affect the area this evening and tonight as well."

Keep on top of active weather by visiting the ALERTS page.

As of 6:50 p.m. local time, nearly 22,000 Hydro One customers were without power.

As a result of the heavy rain, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority issued a watershed conditions statement, which is expected to remain in effect through Tuesday.

"Rivers within the GTA may be experiencing higher flows and water levels, resulting in hazardous conditions," said the TRCA. "The possibility exists for ponding on roadways and in low-lying areas. The combination of slippery and unstable banks could create hazardous conditions close to any river, stream or other water bodies. All rivers and streams within the GTA should be considered hazardous."